For Newcastle Knights fan Bailey Goodacre, grand final day began 156km from Sydney’s Accor Stadium in the Del Hotel and Pub on Newcastle’s trendy Darby Street.
Not long after the pub’s doors opened at 10am, Goodacre and his mates were inside, beer in hand and ready to watch their team in a grand final for the first time in 25 years.
“We’ll steady ourselves and have some food and drinks,” he said. “Eventually, we’ll have more people come. It’s going to be unreal. I can’t wait.
“We defended the table, and now we’re going to defend the kingdom.”
The city woke to promising news after the tragedy of Saturday. Several supporters, including children, were hospitalised after a car crashed into a crowd in Newcastle. But a five-year-old girl struck by the car, who underwent emergency surgery the night before, was now in a critical but stable condition.
“We feel really bad for what has happened. It is sad,” Goodacre said, adding that he thought the town, already bonded by their team’s success, had become even closer after the incident.
At Broadmeadow Station, three kilometres closer to Accor Stadium, groups of Knights fans left every 30 minutes on trains to Sydney. Most were in Newcastle jerseys, few had any luggage and they seemed prepared to make the return journey after the match.
Two of them, Cathy and Michelle Price, wouldn’t have been on the Newcastle express if not for the tickets they won in a competition on the morning of the game.
“I’ve had to change my plans,” Cathy said on the platform.
By midday, hundreds had crossed the Hawkesbury River, descending on the state capital by train, bus or car.
Ashlee Storey and her mum, Anissa, were two who made the journey on the Pacific Motorway, arriving at the stadium in jerseys from the collection of their late brother and son Matthew, who died nine years ago from Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
“All his friends have been sending messages saying he’ll be here with us. They’re so happy we got tickets,” Anissa said. “He was the number one Knights fan, and even his coffin, he had a Knights coffin.”
Ashlee, who attends every home game, has worn her Knights jerseys to work every day this week, much to the chagrin of her boss, a Roosters supporter.
But the events at the fan parade on Saturday were in every fan’s mind.
“Just upsetting and devastating,” she said. “I feel so sorry for all the families that were all involved in it. It’s just terrible.
“It’s been such a great atmosphere in Newcastle and for one guy to ruin it all for everyone is just really upsetting.”
Although Knights fans dominated the station and pubs around Accor – including one actually dressed as a knight (“It’s not knitted by Nan; I got it on eBay,” David Thompson said) – others were there for the State Championship and NRLW grand final.
Luckily for 10-year-old Lachlan Harch, his beloved Brisbane Broncos were still in contention in the NRLW. Otherwise, the Broncos jersey, shorts, socks and necklace he received for his birthday on Thursday wouldn’t have seen the inside of a stadium until next year.
Sadly for him, the Broncos were well beaten, 30-6, by the Roosters in the women’s decider.
Though fewer than the Knights fans, Roosters supporters made a pilgrimage of their own from Sydney’s east to its west and weren’t phased by being in the minority.
“It doesn’t matter,” Harry Zouroudis, who dressed up as a Rooster, said. “It’s the result that matters in the end.”
Some Roosters fans made a much longer commute, and only intend to do so once.
Moruya’s Brad Fairbairn has been a fan for more than half a century but has never attended a grand final. He’s in the stands because of a drunken impulse after the Roosters’ 36-20 victory over the Dolphins in the preliminary final at Suncorp Stadium.
“Well I got drunk last Friday night and said I don’t care what it costs, we’re going,” he said.
Although Fairburn spent more than $1600 on two tickets – one for himself and one for partner Karen Cooper – he didn’t wake up hungover and regretful the morning after.
“It’s a bucket list thing,” he said. “We’re not getting any younger, we won’t be back again.”
Tom Decent is the chief sports writer for The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via X or email.From our partners
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